Hafen Mukran: More water depth for the future of grain and LNG!

Hafen Mukran: More water depth for the future of grain and LNG!

in the port of Mukran on Rügen is currently being worked hard. The necessary work is carried out there to increase the water depth to almost 15 meters. Above all, this project is designed to provide larger ships access. In addition, the grain envelope and loading of liquid gas (LNG) should benefit from the increased water depth. Construction work started last week and are expected to be completed by the end of August or early September. After the work, both the port and the inner harbor basin will have a uniform depth of almost 15 meters, which makes it easier to enter ships with a depth of more than 12 meters. According to [n-tv] (https://www.n-tv.de/regionales/mecklenburg-vorpommern/hafen-mukran-wran-wischer-Fuer- Mehr- Mehrtreid-article25875664.html), however, this work is not in connection with an incident in May when an LNG tanker was based. This incident occurred in any other place.

sounds like a solid thing? Well, the reality around the LNG port looks a little different. In the port of Mukran, the delivery of liquid gas suffer from unexpected difficulties. Instead of the hoped -for two terminal ships, only one thing has been used so far. The German Environmental Aid (DUH) also showed voting power and referred to the terminal as a "bad investment with announcement". In the first quarter of 2025, the port capacity of the port was only fully utilized five percent. DUH federal managing director Sascha Müller-Kraenner even demands the end of the project, since LNG only plays a marginal role for the energy supply of Germany: In the past year, just 1.3 billion cubic meters-that is only 1.5 percent of gas consumption. Therefore, the Duh Mukran sees as avoidable and refers to overcapacities, while the charter contract for one of the two terminal ships is already terminated in January 2025, since the planned further loading of the LNG into other countries brings no benefits for German care security MOPO reports.

background: Hope for LNG

In order to meet the needs of a safe gas supply, the Federal Government initiated the construction of several LNG terminals on the North and Baltic Sea in the course of the geopolitical crises- in particular triggered by the Russian attack on Ukraine. With the LNG acceleration law introduced on June 1, 2022, the natural gas cover from Russia should be replaced quickly. The law enables abbreviated admission procedures and exceptions to environmental exams in order to advance the establishment of the infrastructure. According to the [Federal Government] (https://www.bundes government.de/breg-de/aktuelles/sicher-gasversorgung-2037912), fluid grid minals in Wilhelmshaven, Brunsbüttel and Lubmin have been in operation and covering of the previous gas requirement.

But the LNG infrastructure is also not without criticism. Experts fear that the existing LNG terminals cannot even completely replace the unusual Russian gas deliveries. The Mukran location is also not considered necessary by many, while the construction of further terminals in Hamburg and Rostock is not pursued. After all, it is agreed that fossil gas can only be a temporary solution and that future energy supply has to be geared much more towards sustainable and climate -neutral products.

As it goes on in the port of Mukran, it remains exciting. It remains to be seen whether the plans and investments prove to be viable or inserted in criticism.